Recently, the Director-General of World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticised authorities in China for not providing enough data regarding the current situation. In addition, he called on authorities in China to provide regular data in terms of hospitalisation and deaths.
Olga Hepnarová, the last woman to ever be executed by the Czechoslovakian government, was put to death for killing 8 people with a truck on July 10th, 1973.
Background
Olga Hepnarová was born on June 30, 1951, to a middle-class family in Prague. Her father was a bank clerk, her mother a dentist. She did quite well at school but as she grew older she found it hard to communicate with her parents and classmates.
Later she claimed that she could hardly approach people and that the world was her enemy. In 1964, at the age of 13, she attempted suicide by taking an overdose and spent a year in a psychiatric hospital.
The rest of her teens passed without incident, but, as a young adult, she became obsessed by feelings of hatred for both her family and society as a whole, and was reported to have heard voices, according to several sources.
The crime.
Prior to the murder, on June 7th, 1973, Olga had sent a letter to two newspapers explaining her action as revenge for all the perceived hatred against her by her family and the world. But due to the slowness of the postal system, the letter was received two days after the murder.
.. I am a loner. A destroyed man. A man destroyed by people… I have a choice – to kill myself or to kill others. I choose – TO REVENGE MY HATERS. It would be too easy to leave this world as an unknown suicide. Society is too indifferent, rightly so. My verdict is: I, Olga Hepnarová, the victim of your bestiality, sentence you to the death penalty.
On 10th July 1973, Olga rented this truck and spent nearly half an hour circling a busy tram stop waiting for a satisfactory number of people to gather there. When some 25 people were present nearby Strossmayerovo namesti, she drove the lorry straight into them at speed.
Three of her victims died at the scene, two more later that day, and another three died within days of the attack. Six more were badly injured and a further six slightly.
Ironically the street on which the crime occurred has since been re-named after another hanged woman, Milada Horakova, now a Czech heroine.
Arrest and trial.
When police arrived, Olga was just sitting behind the wheel waiting to go to jail with her luggage. Earlier in the day, she had mailed a letter explaining what she had done.
During her trial, Olga confirmed she committed the murder completely on purpose, and stated that it wasn’t because of her mental illness, it was because society left her with no voice. Her lawyer kept trying to say that she was schizophrenic but she kept denying it and the argument went nowhere. The courts decided she had a personality disorder but was of sound enough mind to be responsible for her actions.
Interviewed in prison, Olga told reporters that “I am not affraid of the death sentence, I do accept it”. She was 23 years, 8 months and 10 days old.
On April 6th, she was convicted of her crimes, and on the 12th of March, 1975, she was hanged in Pankrac Prison.
The Czech Republic will go to the polls on 13 January in the first round of presidential elections, with a second round run-off due two weeks later.
The result will say a lot about Czechs’ vision for their future, as well as their relationship with a troubled past.
Three candidates stand out as favourites, and each embodies different notions of Czech identity. Polls show former prime minister Andrej Babiš, retired army chief Petr Pavel, and former university head Danuše Nerudová closely-tied for the first round, predicted to get around 25 percent of the vote each.
Many Czechs see Babiš, the best-known of the candidates, as uniquely unfit to take up office in Prague Castle. Babiš has spent recent months on trial, accused of assisting in EU subsidy fraud before entering politics. A verdict is imminent, and some, including Czech prime minister Petr Fiala, claim the ANO party leader is only running for president because winning would grant him immunity.
Yet such interpretations don’t do justice to the loyalty to Babiš felt in parts of the country, especially in rural areas. As he drives across the Czech Republic in a camper van to meet voters, Babiš supporters see him as an everyman figure hounded by hostile media — despite his billionaire status and ownership of several national media titles through a trust fund.
Still, Jiří Pehe, a former Czech cabinet member, told EUobserver Babiš’s chances of winning are “small, and not just because of his trial for EU subsidy fraud. He is a polarising figure, and while he has the firm support of around 30 percent of Czechs, almost 70 percent have very negative opinions of him.”
Babiš’s presidential rival Petr Pavel, who for much of the election campaign was seen as the favourite, is similarly dogged by criticism of his past involvement with the communists.
Pavel is open about his membership of the Communist Party prior to the Velvet Revolution, claiming he joined to facilitate a budding military career. But since announcing his presidential candidacy, peers have argued that, in his early adulthood, Pavel was more closely affiliated with the Communist regime than he admits, saying he was in fact trained to be a spy in Nato countries.
After the fall of communism, Pavel went on to have a glittering career in the Czech military and Nato, culminating in his leadership of the Nato military committee from 2015 to 2018. But the allegations have cast a cloud over his strongly pro-western orientation and unequivocal stance in opposition to Russian influence.
Danuše Nerudová would be the country’s first-ever female president (the Czech Republic has never had a female prime minister either), and she would be its youngest-ever head of state, turning 44 in early January. Similarly to Pavel, she is strongly pro-western, and she is especially popular among young voters thanks to her principled views on LGBT+ rights and the green energy transition.
Her rise has been remarkable; she is now predicted to get 25 percent of the first-round vote, while in May 2022, polls put her at only at 3.5 percent support.
Arguably her biggest selling point has been her freedom from controversy — she describes herself as unencumbered by the need to “deal with the past.” This, she argues, will enable her to act as a “moderator” of the national debate if she wins the presidency.
Going into the first round, the race is too close to call. And whoever wins, this battle of personalities has brought home the lingering influence of the Czech Republic’s difficult past as it faces an uncertain future.
Travellers from China planning to enter the Czech Republic will not be subject to mandatory Coronavirus test for the time being, the Czech Health Ministry announced.
Its spokesman said this was not considered necessary for the time being since there is no direct air link from China, but the decision could be reviewed in the future.
On January 4th, the European Union countries agreed to recommend that EU countries introduce a pre-departure testing for all those arriving from China and random testing on-arrival as a preventive measure, following the surge in the number of COVID-19 infections in China.
EU countries are also advised to recommend travellers on flights to China and vice versa to wear face masks and also issue advice regarding health measures and personal hygiene.
The current epidemiological situation in China has sparked controversies among European countries, while some European countries have decided to introduce travel measures, others do not consider such a decision necessary.
Recently authorities in Greece and Switzerland confirmed that they would not impose restrictions for citizens of China despite the surge in the number of COVID-19 infections.
On the other hand, authorities in France, Spain and Italy, announced that all arrivals from China are subject to compulsory COVID test upon their arrival.
The United Kingdom’s government also joined the list of the European countries that introduced mandatory COVID-19 test requirements when planning to reach this territory.
Sportrelax Monínec, a year-round sports and recreation complex, lies south of Prague, not far from the town of Sedlec-Prčice.
The diverse range of activities includes a large number of summer and winter attractions.
This sports and recreation complex is referred to, in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way, as the little Alps in the heart of Bohemia.
While the highest peak in the area, Javorová skála (the ‘Maple Cliff’), reaches a height of a ‘mere’ 724 m, not for nothing is the area called the Czech Siberia.
Natural and artificial snow lies on Monínec for an average of 100 days per year, making it the closest ski resort within a hundred-kilometer radius of Prague.
The 1,200 m long, and sufficiently broad, piste, with its four-seater ski lift, elevation in excess of 200 m, and smooth descent, is a magnet for skiers.
The entire length of the piste is covered in snow by artificial means and floodlit for evening skiing.
The upper part of the complex includes a shorter piste for beginners and a ski school with its own ski tow, as well as a practice area for children with a ski tow, rental, and service, as well as sports accessories shop.
The complex offers three types of accommodation – a three-star hotel with wellness center, a guesthouse, and apartments, which are available in summer and winter.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided by the renowned restaurant in the hotel, and good food can also be had at the alpine-type M2 canteen.
Areas frequented in winter by cross-country skiers become mountain-biking or hiking trails in winter – the dense network of cycling trails and marked hiking trails are an open invitation to go on excursions in the surrounding area.
Two golf courses can also be found nearby.
Part of Prague’s allure is its varied history—the city has been the center of countries and wars.
But Prague’s other standout feature is its beauty: short white buildings with red roofs, sky-high ancient church spires, green trees dotting the landscape, and a river lined with bridges.
From hundreds of years ago until now, the truly breathtaking sights of Prague have made it a favorite city of people from all backgrounds. Here, 10 visual reasons why.
The pictures are credited to Zikmund Reach, photographer, and antiquarian book store owner.
6 January – Procession of the Three Kings. A celebration of the Feast of the Three Kings and at the same time a thank you to the public, which, through the Three Kings Collection, contributes to helping those who find themselves in need. Admission is free.
Start at 14:30 from the Malostranskénáměstí
7 January – Tribute to World Legends: Ella Fitzgerald. Listen to the marvellous tribute paid to Ella Fitzgerald, sang by the mistress of classical jazz and scat – Elena Sonenshine. She will play together with her great and experienced quartet of jazz professionals. Admission: 395 czk
When: 19:00
Where: Reduta Jazz Club, Národní 20, Prague 1 ⠀
9 January – Literary and musical evening in Slavia cafe. The evening will be accompanied by Hasan Zahirović, an expert on the work of the Čapek brothers, accompanied by actors Stela Chmelová and Marek Zeman. Admission is free
Where: Národní 1, Prague 1
When: 19:00
⠀
11 January – Silent EAT IN Kino! The Majestic Special movie nights where you can enjoy tasty meals and drinks in front of the screen in silence – through headphones. Entrance fee: 150 czk online, 125 czk on spot. Language: English with Czech subtitles
When: 19:00 – 21:30
Where: Ostrovského 34, Prague 5
11-15 January – Festival 13+, the first theatre festival focused on a very critical audience at age from 13 years. They try to offer a very attractive program which is accompanied by concerts, exhibitions and workshops.
Where: Dlouhá 39, Prague 1
11-19 January – ÍRÁN:CI. Festival of Iranian Cinematography. With nationwide uprisings against the tyrannical Iranian regime shaking the country for 90 days now, the 10th ÍRÁN:CI Film Festival will be dedicated to all the brave women and men who have been risking their lives across the country in this ongoing revolution.
The festival will present the best of films by Iranian filmmakers in prison or in exile as well as some of the best works of cinematography that have been banned in Iran for the past three decades. More info here
Where: Vodičkova 41, Prague 1
12 January – Après-ski in the City. Tunes by DJ Australan and you can enjoy a carefree evening by drinking tank beer, mulled wine, relaxing with a hot cocktail, tasting the special offer of shots.
When 17:30 – 21:30
Where: Manifesto market – Ostrovského 34, Prague 5
Till 27 January – Pavel Pližinger – Drawing with light. Drawing with light is a dynamic creation of photography. Admission is free
Where: Pertoldova 3346/10, Prague 4
When: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 14:00 – 19:00.
-
The Czech economy is facing a recession this year caused by the energy crisis and inflation, with GDP expected to fall by 1.1 % , Deloitte predicts in its latest report. According to the study, real wages will fall again this year, but unemployment should remain at its current level.
-
Close to 700 company bankruptcies were declared in Czechia last year, 41 fewer than the year before, according to data provided by CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau. The number of bankruptcies in 2021 was the highest number since 2017, which is related to the Covid pandemic.
-
The Czech government has approved a bill aimed at bringing defense spending to the required NATO goal of 2% of GDP. Although Czechia will spend only 1.52% of GDP on defense this year, the 2% target should be reached in 2024.
-
Public prosecutor Jaroslav Saroch today proposed that Czech opposition leader and former prime minister Andrej Babis (ANO) be given a three-year suspended sentence with five-year probation and a fine of CZK 10 million in the Capi Hnizdo (Stork’s Nest) subsidy fraud case.
-
Czech President Milos Zeman told Petr Hladik (KDU-CSL) that he had reservations about his nomination for environment minister and was not ready to appoint him for now, Hladik told journalists yesterday after meeting Zeman at Prague Castle.
Czech presidential candidate Danuse Nerudova, who was sitting on top of the opinion polls last month, now appears to be trailing the two other favourites – retired army general Petr Pavel and opposition leader Andrej Babis – as the campaign enters the final stretch.
The race between the three is still very close but the economist has now dropped to third place, according to the latest poll by the Median agency, ahead of the first round of voting on January 13. Both Nerudova and Pavel have been endorsed by the centre-right government as among its preferred candidates.
She is the only woman among the nine candidates and would be the country’s first female president if elected, and she has therefore drawn comparisons with the liberal president of neighbouring Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova.
The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post but the president has input into foreign policy and makes key appointments such as the central bank governor.
Last month the former Mendel University rector was hit by media reports of plagiarism at the university during her tenure. Nerudova has also been criticised for avoiding media questions on the plagiarism affair, which involved international students at the university.
Instead, Nerudova published what Czech Radio commentator and online outlet A2larm editor Apolena Rychlikova described as an “interview where she posed questions to herself”.
Her rise in the opinion polls has, however, prompted media to ask more questions about her own background.
Together with the plagiarism affair during her tenure at Mendel University, her husband Robert’s work as an equity partner for the Havel & Partners law firm has raised eyebrows. Havel & Partners is one of the country’s major legal firms on anti-trust issues.
Its clients include the majority state-owned utility CEZ, for which Havel & Partners is bidding to do the legal work for the expansion of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant.
The nuclear tender is the largest investment project in Czechia’s history. It is underway with three offers submitted from Westinghouse, EDF, and KHNP.
Transparency International’s lawyer Petr Leyer recently pointed out that Robert Neruda’s high-profile involvement in the legal business would be problematic if Nerudova became president because she would be in charge of appointing judges. “After the Milos Zeman era this would not improve the image of the presidential office nor the general trust in justice” in Czechia, Leyer was quoted as saying by Seznam Zpravy.
The first round of presidential elections is scheduled for January 13-14, with the second-round run-off scheduled for two weeks later.
According to Prague Services, people in Prague throw away about 300,000 Christmas trees every year.
They usually do so on the 6th of January or later; that is why Christmas trees are collected by the garbage collection service until the end of February.
According to Prague’s maintenance services spokesman, Radim Mana, people should not leave saplings near trash cans in courtyards, in locked cages, or near trash cans in family homes.
“Trees should definitely not end up next to such containers, not even when the dustbin is placed in front of the building for regular collection. The right place for a retired tree is a separate bin with colored containers,” said Mana.
He added that the current strong wind can move away the saplings placed by the garbage cans and therefore they recommend waiting for disposal until Sunday when the meteorological warning is supposed to pass.
The collection of trees will be handled by smaller flatbed trucks and larger specially designated garbage trucks.
The trees will be transported to the transhipment points in Průmyslová, Proboštská and Puchmajerova streets and from there they will go to composting plants where they will be used to produce wood chips and compost.
Some of the dirty or insufficiently cut trees may end up in the incinerator in Malešice, Mana added. Artificial trees, however, should be always recycled in collection yards.
Heavily dependent on the automotive sector, cheap energy and Germany, the Czech economy will experience one of the biggest slowdowns in 2023.
Officially, the decision had only been postponed, but it would have come at the right time to brighten up the Czech economic outlook, which is very gloomy for the months to come.
On Friday, December 9, the Volkswagen Group announced that due to economic uncertainties, it would not immediately choose the location of its next electric battery gigafactory, planned for Eastern Europe.
The Czech government had been campaigning for months to have the site in Plzen, over its Hungarian, Slovakian and Polish competitors.
“If there’s the option of building a battery factory in Europe, where electricity costs €0.15 per kilowatt hour, but it’s possible to get it in China or America for €0.02 or €0.03, we are not in a position to say that we will make this choice out of solidarity,” said Thomas Schäfer, the group’s boss, immediately after the announcement.
For the Czech Republic, the stakes are colossal: “This gigafactory is decisive for the future of our automotive industry and, above all, for its ability to make the shift to electric,” said Jiri Dvorak, a specialist on this issue at the Grant Thornton consulting firm in Prague. And, more broadly, it is crucial for the whole country: The automotive industry alone counts for 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP), 8% of jobs and 25% of exports.
Highly dependent on Germany, which takes in a third of its manufacturing, the Czech industrial sector as a whole represents nearly 30% of GDP – the highest level in Europe.
“However, it has been particularly badly affected since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic” in early 2020, explained Grzegorz Sielewicz, a regional specialist at French credit insurer Coface. Penalized by the collapse of demand and the German economic slowdown, the industry has, in the meantime, faced shortages of semiconductors. This hindered manufacturing recovery in 2021.
Deloitte: Czechia facing recession, GDP expected to fall by 1.1 %
The Czech economy is facing a recession this year caused by the energy crisis and inflation, with GDP expected to fall by 1.1 % , Deloitte predicts in its latest report.
According to the study, real wages will fall again this year, but unemployment should remain at its current level.
Deloitte says the economic downturn will also threaten compliance with the state budget deficit planned at CZK 295 billion.
David Jiricek tied it with 39 seconds left in regulation, Jiri Kulich scored late in overtime and the Czech Republic stunned Sweden 2-1 on Wednesday to advance to the world junior hockey title game.
The Czech Republic will face the winner of the night semifinal between the United States and Canada. The Czechs reached the final for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001.
“I said before the tournament we have one of the best teams here,” said elated Czech forward Jakub Brabenec. “One of the best Czech teams in 20 years. I believe.”
Buffalo first-rounder Kulich averted a shootout, cutting from the right side to the slot and lifting the puck over goalie Carl Lindbom’s right shoulder with 50 seconds left in the 10-minute extra period.
“It was amazing, all the emotions,” said Czech forward Matyas Sapovaliv. “We were so happy. After 20 years for the Czech Republic, it will be amazing. We will see if it’s Canada or United States, but I’m excited. I’d probably laugh if you told me before the tournament we’d play for gold!”
CZECHIA IS PLAYING FOR GOLD FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2001!!!
🇨🇿 @narodnitym wins semi-final in overtime over 🇸🇪 @Trekronorse as @Kulda151 is the hero. #WorldJuniors #CZESWE pic.twitter.com/EtkhW34Bqb
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 4, 2023
In regulation with goalie Tomas Suchanek off for an extra attacker, Jiricek ripped a one-timer past Lindbom from the left point.
Suchanek made 21 saves, allowing only Ludvig Jansson’s second-period goal. Lindbom stopped 29 shots.
The Czechs now have 35 goals, more than at any of their World Juniors except 1995 (43 goals in seven games). Whichever North American nation they face in the final, they’ll need all the firepower they’ve got.
Lucie Fukova will coordinate the activities of ministries working to improve the lot of the country’s Roma minority. She also wants to improve the way Romani people are seen in Czech society.
The Czech government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala last month created the post of government commissioner for Roma community affairs — an important step in addressing the complex situation of the country’s Roma community. It appointed 41-year-old Romni Lucie Fukova to the post.
“The government takes the matter of the integration of national minorities very seriously,” Czech government spokesman Vaclav Smolka told DW. “Because integration measures are very disjointed, the government decided to create the post of government commissioner in this area primarily to act as a coordinator between the ministries.”
Fukova hopes that her work will ensure that the money that the Czech Republic and the European Union spend on improving the situation of the Roma community will go where it is needed most. Roma and Sinti communities are Europe’s largest, and most disadvantaged, minority, and Roma are estimated to make up about 2.5% of the population of the Czech Republic.
“Simply put, [I want] to find a way to help that will be based on the real needs of Romani people,” Fukova told the website Romea.cz. “I will also work comprehensively on the overall perception of Romani people in society. Czechs and Roma don’t know each other; prejudice makes it harder to live together.”
Experience at European level
Lucie Fukova belongs to what is still a relatively small group of Roma who have a university education. She has a degree in social anthropology from the University of Pardubice and completed an internship at the European Commission, during which she helped to prepare the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU.
In 2007, she was Czech coordinator of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. She recently worked as an advisor on matters relating to the Roma community in the region of Pardubice.
Focus on training for young Roma
Fukova considers one of her most important tasks as commissioner for Roma community affairs to be the creation of the social conditions needed to allow Roma in the Czech Republic to get education and professional training and, therefore, a better start in life.
“It goes without saying that when a family reaches a certain level — a good home, a good job — it’s easier for the children in that family to continue their professional training,” Fukova said in a radio interview shortly after her appointment.
In the last census conducted in the Czech Republic in 2021, 21,000 people gave Roma as their ethnicity. Yet according to official government estimates, there are about 250,000 Roma in the country, which has a population of approximately 10.5 million.